Traction coupling or hitch.



H. B. S|MONS.

TRACTION C-OUPLING 0H HITCH.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 30| |918.

Patented Mar. 4, 1919.y

ATI'ORN EY STATES UNITE .are a' Ferca.

HARRY B. SIMONS, OF MONTESANO, WASHINGTON.

TRACTION COUPLING OR HITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 4, 1919.

Application filed December 3o, 191s. serial No. 268.59m'.V

vand State of lashingtoin have invented a new and useful Traction Coupling or Hitch, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to tti-action couplings or hitehes, and its object is to provide means whereby a trailer or other article may be connected to a motor yehicle, the invention being particularly useful where logs or other heavy materials are to be transported.

In accordance with the invention, the strain between the rear axle of the motor vehicle and the rear frame o'l` the truck is equalized, thereby avoiding overstrain on either the axle or frame as occurs when the trailer is attached to one or the other. The invention is useful in causing the trailer to' track to far better eti'ect than is customary. The invention is useful in reducing the shock or jar to both the trailer and motor vehicle by which the trailer is drawn. The invention is useful particularly in "hauling lengthy articles, which rest on both the motor vehicle and the trailer, in that it gives elasticity to the combined conveyance and prevents shortening of the distance between the points where the llengthy object being conveyed` contacts with the forward and rearward conveyances respectively, on making turns.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is notl confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be ,changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features 'of the invention `as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing y l Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a small portion of the rear part of a motor vehicle.

Fig. is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, but illustrating the chassis frame in dotted lines.

Referring tothe drawing, there is shown a motor vehicle A. the showing being only suflicient to indicat-e a motor vehicle and the onlylpai't of the vehicle to which special reference is had is the rear axle 1 and the chassis frame 2 which may be, as is customary, of channel steel. l

Applied to the axle l by means of U-bolts 3. or by otlier "fastening devices, is 'a yoke l which may be in the form of a bar of fiat material with relatively short legs and the r intermediate part of the bar may be bent somewhat out of the plane of the legs, as best shown in Fig. "1, although its particular bending is not obligatory.

Pi voted to the yoke at about midway of its length by means of a pivot pin or bolt 5, is a bifurcated head ,6 formed on one end of a rod 7, the other end 'being suitably threaded, as indicated at 8,- toreceive Va nut S), the latter being preferably a castle nut so that it may be secured to the bolt by means of a cotter pin 10.`

. The pin 5 preferably traverses the yoke 1 near that sidethereof toward the axle 1, thus greatly strengtheningthe connection because of the increased width of. material against which the pin engages.

The' rod 7 is surrounded by a spring 11 lodged between two plates 12 and 13 respectively, and f, against which the ends of the spring bear.vr The plate 12 engages against the bifurcated end 6 and lthe plate 13 bears against the nut S) so that the expansion of the spring 11 is limited thereby.

T raver-sing the corresponding 'outer .ends of the plates 12 and 13 are other rods 1st, 15 respectively` each fo med at oneIk end with ahead 16, and at the other end each rod is threaded, as shownat 17. to receive nuts 18, one nut of each pairserving as a lock nut, although castle nuts like the nut 9 may be used.

The rods 1+ and 15 extend for a considerable distance beyond the plate 13 in a direction remote from the plate 12 and at the threaded ends 17 traverse the corresponding ends'of another plate 19 similar to the plates 12 and 13. About midway of the length of the plate 19 it is 'also traversed by a' rod 20 extending in substantially the same direction as the .rod 7 and at the end remote from the rod thisrod 2O has a bifurcated head 21 similar to the head V6'. The head 21 is traversed by a bolt or `pin -22 connecting alink 23 to the head 21. The link 23 is continued to and connects with the trailer and may forni a part thereof, wherefore, the

link 28 is to be taken as indicative of any.

' suitable trailer Without more extended illustration of the trailer. Ordinarily a trailer 'truck comprises a body portion andone or 'moresets of wheels and as4 this invention has nothing whatever in itself 'to do with l the, specific 'form of the trailer, it-` is-neither shown-#nor described furtherthan the show.

fing-Of then-niece;

' p' The rod20 also traverses a hanger 24 in I,the orm 'of a bar fast at one 'end' to` and de- =pen ingffrom' the rear cross-piecesof the chassis tra-me 2 to whi .hit is secured by "sprint: 3,7- andthe plate l-9may be held 'at a dependinghang'er Zesby bolts 28.

Connecting .'theg-lower end' of thehanger -andthe rear member. of the fchassis2 are braces v29, the bolts 28 serving the double purpose' of 'lholdingfjthe corresponding ends'. of the braces' 26V and29 to the hanger, .and

other bolts BOcOnnecting'the braces 29 to the end cross member of thefchassis frame.

Secured to' the hanger24fby the bolts 28' and 4other1` bolts" 32-are angle extensions 3 3 Vof' the `leg portions 34j of abracket 35, having a connecting or yoke portion 36 traversed by the 'rod 20. Between 'the hanger. 24 and the plate 19 the'rod 2O fis' surrounded by a determined vplace on-the rod 2O by a castle nut 38 secured in place by a cotter pin 39.

` Where lthe automobile is .to be used from' 'time' to time for haulingthe trai-ler the.cou pling may remain fast to the-chassisl2 and 'i 'axle 1, the trailerv being disconnectedby removal of the pin 22 ,When the-trailer .is beingdrawn by the automobile' the load is upon the rod 20 and is resisted by the hanger -24 and braces 26 and 29 connected to the chassis-frame. Moreover, the-loadis further.l distributed through the spring 137 to the yplate 1,9, thence through the rods .14 and 15 .tj the-plate 12, and then by way ofthe *'S'pringjll to the plate 13,l nut 9, rod 7 and yoke. 4to the axle'1. .There are therefore provided `tvv-o elastic' or yieldable connections v.between the. motor vehicle represented by the automobile. A and the trailer represented by the link 23, 'part ofthe load passing f to the axle 1 of the motor vehicle through the springs 11 and 87 in tandem and part through the spring-37 to the hanger 24, and thence to the chassis frame 2 by way 0f the bIaCeS 26 and29 as well as by the' hanger 24. What is claimed is -Y A traction couplingor hitchforconnecting a trailer or load 'to a motor vehicle lt s 2 5 Thelowerend ofthe hangen24 isv connectedtothe side'fmembers of the chassis" '1F53 to'be drawn by vthe latter, Vcomprising devices connected-to the rear axle of the mctor vehicle,vand other devices connected to the chassis frame of the' motor Vehicle, said connectionseach including a spring, wherebythe load is elastically distributed to the 'the two spring devices being also connected together.

3. A traction coupling or hitch for connecting .a trailer or load to a motor vehicle to be drawn by the latter,.comprising two spring devices, connected'in tandem with one spring deviceconnected tothe rear-axle of thel vehicle'jand the, other spring device having means connecting the load to. it, and connections:A between the second spring device and the chassis ofthe vehicle.

' i4.' A traction coupling or hitch for conto be drawn by the ylatter, comprising a spring device connected'to the rear axle of of the 'vehicle and yieldable to the rear, said second spring devicehaving means for connecting -th' load to it, and connections between the two spring devices.

V5. A traction coupling ork hitch'for connecting a trailer or load to a motor vehicle )the vehicle and yieldablevto the, rear, and- .A another spring device carried by the chassis necting a trailer orv load to amotor vehicle i tol be drawn by the latter, comprising a rod,

connections between 'the rod andthe rear axle of the vehicle, a spring-onV the rod yieldable toward the rear, slidable plates on the rod at theends of the spring, another rod with means at the rear end for'connecting the load thereto, a plate on the second rod, other rods traversing the plates on the rst-named rods, ahanger 'depending from the chassis of the"-vehicle and carrying'the second-.named rod, and a` spring on the second-named rod between the plate thereon and the hanger.

In testimony that ly claim the foregoing as my own havejhereto ailixed my signsture. f Y

`HARRY B. SIMONS.

Witnesses :y

J. A. HUT'CHESON, Gr. W. Foss.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the bommissionercf Patents,

' Washington, D. C. y 

